Earthquake in Ischia: Rescue of Little Mattias and Hope for Ciro – A Chronicle of a Day Marked by Fear and Solidarity
This morning, at 11:23 AM, the earth in Ischia trembled once again. A tremor of magnitude 2.6, with its epicenter in Casamicciola, was felt by absolutely everyone: those at the bar, those out grocery shopping, and those on the beach soaking up the sun. Hearts raced, because in these parts, earthquakes are not unfamiliar visitors. But this time, beyond the fear, there was also a tremendous wave of solidarity and a few small miracles.
The video that spread across the island: Mattias pulled alive from the rubble
The first to come into the spotlight was little Mattias. A video went viral within hours showing the fire brigade pulling him out from a pile of debris, dusty but alive. You can see the exact moment a tiny hand emerges from the ruins and a firefighter in a red helmet grabs hold of him. The footage of little Mattias's rescue circulated through every family chat and WhatsApp group on the island. "I was crying in front of the screen," a neighbour told me, "because in that child, I saw my own nephew." The Civil Protection team sprang into action immediately, coordinating the initial rescue operations with flawless efficiency. And thank goodness for that, because in such moments, speed is everything.
The digging continues: Everyone holds their breath for Ciro
But while for Mattias the story ended with a warm hug and a thermal blanket, for another name, fate hangs by a thread. Ciro is missing. The search continues non-stop, shovel by shovel, under the sun and through the dust. The excavators work in silence, broken only by the voices of rescuers calling out his name. "Come on, Ciro, let us hear you," they shout. And we, huddled in our homes or out on the streets watching, are holding our breath. The latest updates from the civil protection speak of an intense search, but time is unforgiving. Hope is the last thing to die, and here in Ischia, we know that well.
Casamicciola's lesson: Between fear and resilience
Every tremor takes us back years, to those terrible days of 2017 and 1883. But this time, despite the fear, the emergency response machinery worked effectively. Here are some aspects that struck all of us:
- The swiftness of the Civil Protection: within minutes, they set up command posts and began inspecting buildings.
- Neighbourly solidarity: doors were opened to offer a coffee or a place to sit for those whose homes were damaged.
- The anxiety for Ciro: the most searched name on Google today, the hope that he might be found alive like Mattias.
And as evening descends on Casamicciola, the streets are full of people who don't want to go back inside. Better to stay out, talking, looking at the stars, and praying that no more tremors come from the earth. The updates from the civil protection mention buildings checked and no major damage, but for Ciro, the search goes on. And we remain here, phones in hand, ready to receive the news we are all waiting for: "Ciro has been found."
This is our Ischia, fragile yet resilient at the same time. A land that trembles, but one that never gives up.